Events

Do you have herpes simplex? Come along to a social support group event for people with genital herpes: meet others, share experiences, and get answers to your questions. See below for the dates/venues for London (anyone can come) and there are regular meet-ups for members-only in Bury. Sometimes other places too: Bristol, Birmingham, Exeter, and various places in Scotland…. Maybe Cardiff?

See further down for invitation to the ‘First Day of the Rest of Your Life’ – on Saturday, 17th February 2018 – get in touch NOW to book your place: [email protected] or phone 020 7607 9661.

We are often told that: “I was really nervous about coming to this meet-up. But it was the best thing I’ve ever done. I really enjoyed meeting other people with herpes and talk about it openly – and to get my questions answered.”

People thinking about coming along to our meet-ups often ask “What sort of people come to these?” And the answer is “Normal people! Nice people!” We are all ages, all colours, all sexes! Some have been before; others are new; members have had invitations through the post; non-members have seen these details ‘on the net’.

Conversation is about everything: how someone had caught it, how someone else’s partner had reacted. Mainly, it involves feelings of lack of self-esteem and the problems/methods of talking about herpes simplex (‘cold sores on the wots-it’) to new or potential partners. It is a sort of informal counselling if you like, with the experience of each person there, adding to Marian’s time-tested advice.

“At my first meeting I was told ‘Of course you can have a normal sex life’ by a man who’d had herpes simplex for five years. I didn’t believe him. Now I know he was telling the truth.” says Marian.

London social chats-with-answers – see venue details below

Saturdays

Event in London – Marian ‘in the pink’

3 March, 7 April, and one every month…

Marian is the usual host. We will be there from 3 pm – to 6 pm, but you can arrive and leave when it suits you, we are very informal. We can discuss ‘it’ in public without anyone being aware we are a support group for genital herpes. People don’t take any notice when we talk about ‘h’ and spell out ‘s’ ‘e’ ‘x’.

The Atrium Lounge venue (directions below) is especially good if you like a quiet, comfortable atmosphere. It is usually nice and empty – we find we can chat without fear of being overheard. We drink tea/coffee/wine/beer/cocktails – all really cheap for London! Some of us go on to eat somewhere nearby after 6.00 pm.

Marian or other volunteer will put a Toblerone-shaped sign with ‘SPHERE’ on the table.

Weekday Evenings

Tuesday 13th February, Wednesday 14th March – and more dates will be added …

All of you are welcome to come and meet Marian – from 6.30 pm. You can phone her on 020 6706 9661 if she is late! She stays at this event until 8.00 pm and if no one has arrived, she’ll leave. No booking necessary, just turn up to talk…

BUT if you have arrived before 8.00, we can go on chatting till all hours. This is an open meeting at the President’s Atrium Bar/Lounge – see venue details below.

At one of these, the six people who came liked talking to each other so much, they agreed to come again next month – and five of them did!

Venue and Directions

The Atrium Lounge in the President Hotel, Guilford Street, London WC1 1DB

About 2 minutes from Russell Square tube. Turn left out of the tube station, first left into Herbrand Street. The hotel is straight ahead. Inside the hotel, turn right and go through the big glass doors. Look for the yellow SPHERE sign on a table. (Saturday: parking free after 1.30 pm near the hotel.)

Around the country

These social (and sometimes ‘support’) events occur in people’s homes and in pubs, cafes, etc. around the country. Members interested in getting a meeting going in their part of the country get full support from the HVA office. We even hope to join the first meeting ourselves, or send a helpline volunteer – someone trained to answer all factual questions.

Recently, we have had a meeting in Perth: Tuesday, 1st August, and Oxford: Saturday 26th August.

Edinburgh – held a social meet-up on Friday, 1st December

Join us from 7.30 on The Filmhouse Café, 88 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH3 9BZ. John will be wearing a red shirt, and a female HVA member will also be there. Please tell us if you’re coming by texting John on 07851 789 220. Have a bite to eat, a drink or just a coffee. Talking to others has been shown to help you – fact!

Birmingham – held a meeting on Saturday, 27 January 2018

In the afternoon, from 3 pm to 6.15 pm, Marian will be chatting and answering questions with (lots of?) people in the Ikon Gallery, 1 Oozells Square B1 2HS. Look for the yellow SPHERE sign on the table – about the shape of a Toblerone bar. “The more I learnt, the better I felt about it all” says Marian, “I want other people to benefit from having a real understanding of this.”

Elsewhere

Regularly, a group meet in Bury. Next on 22nd February – HVA members only. Also, there are people interested in having meetings in Leeds, Eastbourne, Coventry, Cardiff.

Gay Guys in London

First Day of the Rest of Your Life – Saturday, February 17th 2018 – book now!

Are you stuck at the stage where you ‘dump them if it looks like it is getting serious’ (because I daren’t talk about my genital herpes)? Do you say to yourself “Will anyone want to be with me now I have herpes?” Or “how do I tell someone I have herpes?” We have a solution:

On October 18th, members attended the last one and gave us a 100% perfect score for the day! This is a full day’s event which we know give you the facts, the ideas and most importantly, the confidence about ‘how to tell someone I have herpes’. We ask members what they would say to a person thinking about coming along. They say:

Definitely worth attending! Even if you think you know all about herpes – helps you to feel more positive.

Do it sooner rather than later! (Two people said this)

Well worth the money [£39]. Very good. Must do.

Please attend the day as soon as you feel ready. I wish I had made the trip to London sooner. . . I think I would have had a more positive attitude towards sex, etc. over the last few years had I attended the study day sooner.